Welcome to another episode of the Hangin’ with the AD podcast, where we bring you conversations with leaders who challenge us to think differently, lead intentionally, and ultimately get better at what we do.

Today, we're taking the podcast international for the very first time as we welcome JP Nerbun, joining us all the way from Ireland!

JP is an executive coach, author, podcaster, and the founder of TOC Culture Consulting. He's spent his career helping coaches, athletic administrators, and organizations build stronger cultures and become more effective leaders.

A former basketball coach, JP has authored five books focused on team culture, sports parenting, and transformative leadership. His latest, The Culture Captain, released in June 2026, provides athletes with a four-level framework for learning to lead themselves, others, and ultimately their teams.

He's also a host of the Coaching Culture Podcast, alongside two familiar voices to our listeners and former guests of Hangin' with the AD, Betsy Butterick and Nate Sanderson.

In today's conversation, we dig into a word that gets used a lot in athletics: culture. But what does it really mean to build one? How do you hold people accountable without creating fear? How do athletic directors establish a shared culture across an entire department? And perhaps one of the toughest questions in athletics: What happens when winning and your values collide?

We also explore the power of curiosity in leadership, how we can turn sports parents into partners, and why changing a culture requires a whole lot more than putting inspirational words on a locker room wall.

JP challenges us to look beyond what we say we believe and examine what our everyday actions actually communicate.

So, let's head across the Atlantic and get into our conversation with JP Nerbun, right here on Hangin' with the AD.

What does excellence really look like in a high school athletic department?

Is it wins and championships? Is it the experience we create for student-athletes? Is it developing leaders, building community, teaching sportsmanship—or maybe it’s finding a way to do all of those things well?

On this episode of the Hangin’ with the AD podcast, we sit down with Brittany Spencer Grant, Director of Athletics at Oregon High School in Oregon, Wisconsin.

Brittany has spent more than a decade in athletic administration and has become a respected voice in the profession at both the state and national levels. She has served as President of the Wisconsin Athletic Directors Association, been recognized with Wisconsin’s State Award of Merit, presented at the National Athletic Directors Conference, and continues to serve the profession through leadership, professional development, and the NIAAA.

But this conversation is about much more than the résumé.

We talk with Brittany about what excellence should look like in high school athletics and the importance of continuing to grow as a leader, regardless of how long you’ve been in the chair. She shares the impact of seeing women in leadership positions—and what it means now to provide that same example for the next generation of athletic administrators.

We also dive into student-athlete leadership, NIL at the high school level, creating first-class experiences for college-bound athletes, and the responsibility we have to teach sportsmanship while still encouraging our students, families, and communities to show up, get loud, and support their teams.

It’s a conversation about leadership, intentionality, growth, and creating an athletic program that represents something bigger than the scoreboard.

So settle in and join us for another episode of the Hangin’ with the AD podcast with our guest, Brittany Spencer Grant.

Welcome to another episode of the Hangin’ with the AD Podcast, today we welcome Randale Richmond, Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at Kent State University.

Randale’s journey in athletic administration has come full circle. He spent 10 years at Kent State working in compliance, academics, and student-athlete services before moving to Old Dominion University, where he continued to expand his leadership responsibilities. In 2021, he returned to Kent State as the university’s 12th Director of Athletics and was elevated to Vice President in 2023.

At the center of Randale’s leadership philosophy is a commitment to developing people. He has described his purpose as being a transformational leader who positively impacts the lives of others, while building an athletic department that is student-athlete centered, coach led, and administrator supported.

In today’s conversation, we talk about his journey to the AD chair, developing culture, leading people through change and uncertainty, preparing student-athletes for life beyond competition, and what leadership looks like in today’s rapidly evolving world of college athletics.

There is plenty here for athletic administrators at every level to take back to their own programs.

So settle in as we talk leadership, athletics, and the responsibility that comes with sitting in the AD chair with Kent State Vice President and Director of Athletics, Randale Richmond.